Track-sanding device



F. D. McGlNLEY AND T. J. COUGHLIN.

TRACK SANDING DEVICE! APPLICATION FILED JUNE 26. 1918.

Patented Aug. 26, 1919.

,j 0/ 4 Av UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

FREDERICK D. MOGINLEY AND THOMAS J. COUG-HLIN, 0F SYRACUSE, NEW YORK.

TRACK-SAN DIN G DEVICE.

Application filed June 26, 1918.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that we, FREDERICK D. Mo- GINLEY and THOMAS J. COUGHLIN, citizens of the United States of America, and residents of Syracuse, in the county of Onondaga, in the State of New York, have invented new and useful Improvements in Track-Sanding Devices, of which the following, taken in connection with the accompanying drawings, is a full, clear, and exact description.

This invention relates to certain improvements in track-sanding devices, adapted to be installed upon electric and other railway cars for depositing uniform quantities of sand upon one of the rails in advance of, but close to one of the wheels to increase the braking and tractional resistance, between the wheels and rails particularly on steep grades.

The main object is to provide simple and efiicient means for positively feeding the sand from the source of supply to the point of discharge upon the rail.

Another object is to operate this feeding means by air under pressure preferably from the same source as used for operating the brakes, commonly employed on cars of this character.

A further object is to provide simple means whereby the operation of the feeding means and the supply of the sand thereto may be controlled at will by a single operating member.

Other objects and uses relating to specific parts of the apparatus will be brought out in the following description.

In the drawing, Figure 1, is a side elevation of a track-sanding device embodying the various features of our invention, showing also a portion of one of the wheels of the ear and track, and also a portion of the air pressure tank to which the device is connected by an air pipe partly broken away.

Fig. 2, is an enlarged longitudinal sectional view of the sand feeding device and its operating means together with the valve or gate for controlling the supply of sand to the said feeding device.

Fig. 3 is an enlarged transverse vertical sectional view taken on line 3-3, Fig. 1.

As illustrated, this device comprises a head or main section 1, a nipple section 2 and a tubular section 3-, all secured together end to end to form a rigid conduit, the outer end of the tubular section -3 beirig closed Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Aug. 26, 1919.

Serial No. 242,005.

by a relatively small head or plug 4, screwed or otherwise secured therein.

The head 1 is provided with a sand inlet 5, having a lateral branch passage 6, co-axial with the axis of the nipple -2 and tube 3, which latter is provided in its lower side with a sand outlet 7, between the head 4 and nipple 2, but preferably near the head 4.

The conduit as a whole is preferably disposed in an inclined plane with its dehvery end at the lowest point in proximity to the periphery of one of the wheels as -aand upper surface of one of the rails -b-, so that the sand passing through the conduit will be discharged through the outlet 7 directly upon the rail.

A cap plate 8 is secured to the upper face of the head 1 and is provided with a threaded opening registering with the inlet 5 for receiving the adjacent end of a pipe 9 which in turn is connected to the hopper shaped bottom of a sand reservoir 10 constituting the source of supply from which the sand is delivered through the inlet 5 to the conduit.

The passage of the sand from the reservoir 10 to the inlet 5 is controlled by a sliding gate or valve 11., which is guided in suitable ways on the top of the head 1 and is movable lengthwise of the conduit to and from a position across the inlet 5 and may be operated by any suitable means presently described.

A screw shaft 12 is rotatably mounted within the conduit and extends lengthwise thereof across the inlet 5 and outlet 7, the opposite ends of said shaft being journaled in suitable bearings 13 and 14- in the heads 1 and 4 respectively, for positively feeding the sand from the inlet 5 to the outlet 7 as the shaft is rotated in one direction.

Any suitable means may be provided for rotating the screw shaft, but inasmuch as compressed air is used on most of the cars 'l' or operating the brakes we prefer to use a part of this compressed air for operating the screw shaft and for this purpose the end of the head 1 opposite that to which the nipple 2 is secured is provided with an impeller chamber 15, co-axial with the screw shaft 12 for receiving a rotary impeller 16, which is secured by a key or pin 17 to the adjacent end of said shaft.

This impeller chamber is provided with an air intake 18, connected with a pipe 19 to a tank 20 containing air under abnormal pressure, the outer end of the chamber 15 being closed by a. cap 21 having an air outlet or exhaust 22 to permit the escape of the com pressed air after expending its force upon the impeller 16.

The pipe 19 is provided with a valve 23 for controlling the supply of compressed air to the chamber 15, said valve being provided operating member 2-1 and slide valve being adjusted so that when one valve is opened the other valve Wlll also be open and woe versa;

In operation assuming that the valves are closed and that the screw shaft is at rest during which the supply of sand to the rail would be out off, then, if it is desired to supply sand to the rail, it is simply necessary to operate the hand lever 24 to open the valves 11 and 23 to the degree desired according to the amount of sand required on the rail, whereupon the sand will feed to the screw shaft and the latter Will be operated by the rotating of the impeller to positively feed the sand from the inlet to the outlet, from which outlet the sand will be deposited by gravity onto the surface of the railjust ahead of the wheel to give the desired traction or braking resistance.

What we claim is:

1. In a track-sanding device, a conduit having an inlet and an outlet, means for supplying sand to the inlet, a gate for controlling said supply, and means movable Within the conduit for positively feeding the sand from the inlet to the outlet, in combination with driving means for the last namedmeans including an air operated impellerand'a valve for controlling said air, means for operating said valve, and connections between said valve operating means and gate for opening the gate when the valve is opened and vice versa.

2. The combination with a sand reservoir and a compressed-air tank,o-f a conduit having an inlet and an outlet, the inlet being connected to the sand reservoir, a gate controlling the passage of sand from the reservoir to the inlet, a screw-shaft rotatable in the conduit, an impeller chamber having an intake port and an exhaust port, a pipe connecting the intake port to the air tank and provided with a valve, and means for transmitting motion from the valve to the gate whereby the gate will be opened when the valve is opened and vice versa.

3. In a track sanding device, a conduit having an inlet and an outlet, a sand reservoir connected to the inlet, a sand-feed controller in said connection, means for feeding the sand from said inlet to said outlet, driving means for said feeding means, a controller for said driving means, and means for transmitting motion from one to the other controller to allow the feeding of the sand from the reservoir to the inlet only when the feeding means for the sand from the inlet to the outlet is'in action.

vIn witness whereof we have hereunto set our hands this 24th day of April, 1918.

FREDERICK D. MOGINLEY. THOMAS J. COUGHLIN.

WVitnesses:

H. E. CHASE, Amen M. CANNON.

Copies of this patent may be obtainedifor five cents each, by addressing the Commissioner of Patents,

. Washington, D. C. 

